Rustic Finger Lakes Wedding at the Fontainebleau Inn

Cara and Jeremy were High School Sweethearts and tied the knot this past weekend at the historic and quaint Fontainebleau Inn in the Finger Lakes region of NY. It was a beautiful and crisp Fall day, with the threat of rain right at their ceremony time. The wedding was moved under the tent to be safe, however we still had a beautiful view.

There are a lot of neat parts to being a wedding photographer… one is being the fly on the wall for very intimate moments like handing the Groom a card from his Bride and documenting his reaction. Then being handed his card for her and then delivering and documenting.

My favorite part of the day is when I can get the couple alone for a few minutes before they hit the reception. The goal is to get them relaxed, even for just a few minutes, so they can bask in the just-married-glow. Luckily, we were able to do this twice! Once on the wedding day and then also the very next morning, at the very crack of dawn.

We woke up Sunday to a light rain, and as my head on the pillow was secretly hoping our little photo shoot was rained out, Cara said she was game either way! Luckily, coffee was waiting for us downstairs and the rain started to part. We headed down to the dock and captured the best images of the weekend as well as exactly what I had in mind all along. When we returned up to the Inn, breakfast was our reward.

Cara found me last year when I participated in the Heron Hill Bridal Show. She saw me in the list of vendors and called to book her date before the show so that no one else could have me! Immediately upon Skyping with her I knew we were the perfect fit for each other. I was moved to hear that so many people in their family have been High School Sweethearts, including her parents.

The wedding day went really smoothly, as everyone was staying at the Inn. Though I had to get them moving a little since it was such a relaxing environment.

There are a lot of little stories I could tell about the people I met and the details (like the pies!), however I’ll just share them visually. When I left, I felt like family and yet again am sad that my Bride and Groom live far away. Cara & Jeremy, thank you for inviting me into your love and your life! It was a true joy being your documentarian for the weekend.

Heather provided FANTASTIC photography services for a nonprofit fundraising event my organization held around the holidays and we were incredibly pleased with everything from beginning to end! Heather is one of the most impressive professional photographers I have ever encountered. Not only is her photographic work stunning and unique, but her business acumen is also impressive. You will absolutely be 110% satisfied with Heather McKay!

Our wedding album is my kid's favorite bedtime story and because of the vibrant images, my daughter wishes she was there!! Awe!!
This is a testament to how Heather captures real personalities and moments that are what the memory of the day really is like. You'll shove the dress into a bag in the back of your closet and forget the rest. Documentary photos are what you and your kids will cherish. Do it. You won't regret it for a second.

Where to even begin - I was recommended to check out Heather's wedding work by a family friend and our venue, The Inn on the Lake in Canandaigua. Heather was so enjoyable and helpful from start to finish. She is very realistic about how fast the wedding day goes, helped us to not get caught up in props, poses, crazy Pinterest ideas, etc... and that gave us the most authentic, perfectly "us" photos that I have ever seen! She is willing to try anything (laying on top of a moving 1961 wooden speedboat to get just the right shot) and brings a great energy to the day that puts everyone at ease. My husband, our families and friends are so very thankful that we found Heather. I highly recommend using Heather as your photographer for one of the most important and memorable days of your life!

Our review is essentially the “before” picture (the “after” to follow,) as our Wedding isn’t until May 2016. It seemed helpful to speak to how we got to and got connected with and selected ‘McKay’s Photography’.
‘McKay’s Photography’ was recommended to us by close friends who had also worked with Heather for their wedding a few years back. They spoke to both how amazing Heather is a photographer/incredible as a professional, as resource and support leading up to (and on) the day itself and also a really fun, personable person to work with. We had to reach out and chat with Heather ….
We were instantly impressed by how quickly Heather got in touch with us, after sending our initial email. She suggested setting up a phone time so that we could chat, and one that worked/was convenient for us. In that phone call, Heather spent a great deal of time with us, not only describing her work and the services she can offer, but also chatting and seemingly really trying to get a sense of us as people. We found this incredibly refreshing and a really diligent approach; you’re going to want a photographer that can put you at ease, have fun with you on the day and really get the “job” done right? We don’t have a tall order of photography “demands” or “requests” for the Wedding (that’s why you want to find and work with the best (for you) pro, right?), but Heather really made a point of making sure she could get a sense what we would want, and how she can use her own expertise to match that. She truly listened and heard, and also had questions and even great suggestions; “things to think about and explore in the coming months”.
Subsequent to that, we also then set up an “in-person” meet, at Heather’s suggestion. A major point to add here is that while our Wedding will be in the upstate NY area, we live in MA. Heather, while in Boston on other business, took time out of a packed schedule to come to us and meet in person! It's clear how invested Heather is in her work, and how important it is to her to have a good understanding of her clients as people. We had seen her website in doing our “homework”, but Heather brought samples of her work, and in the format of products she can offer after the wedding (e.g. photo books etc). She was prepared to answer any and all questions, and again brought many of her own for us (e.g. style, preferences, approach etc etc). The “in-person” conversation, as was the phone intro, was very comfortable, informative, personable and incredibly professional. Heather brings a clearly evident sense of professionalism experience and skill, while at the same time is incredibly engaging and fun and sets you right at ease.
Needless to say, there’s an overwhelming array of choices, options, selections etc etc, in planning a Wedding. We were thrilled and feel really lucky to have been connected with Heather. It’s clear she knows her field, she knows the upstate NY for geography, resources, contacts, and options we haven’t even thought about. Her website and blog has been immensely informative and helpful. She has been super accessible and keeping in contact; building the relationship with us, which again speaks to the investment she has in her work and her clients.
We “booked” ‘McKay’s Photography’ almost a year out from our Wedding (which might be the norm, but is certainly vital for someone of Heather’s caliber because her schedule isn’t going to have openings for long) and are really excited about working with Heather/'McKay's Photography'.

Heather, you took such amazing shots. I am so thrilled with the photos! Such beautiful images of the best day of my life :) And what a gift to see all of the things I missed...you gave me parts of my day I couldn't have seen any other way. You're more than a photographer, you're a keeper of precious, once-in-a-lifetime moments in this beautiful life. What a gift your talent is to me and everyone else who has the privilege of working with you!